United States

Public Libraries are Natural Town Squares

Cities from Fayetville, AR to Pendleton, OR are taking advantage of their public libraries as places to get input on important strategic initiatives.

September 20, 2011 - ICMA

4th Best City to Buy a House and Find a Job: Detroit?

Homes in Detroit are certainly cheap, but are there jobs? Data from jobs site SimplyHired and real estate search engine Trulia says yes.

September 20, 2011 - Mlive.com

The Rise and Fall of the Cul-de-Sac

In the 1930s, The Federal Housing Authority embraced the trend towards cul-de-sacs, decrying the standard street grid as monotonous and unsafe. Norman Garrick and Wesley Marshall have proven otherwise.

September 19, 2011 - The Atlantic Cities

Save the Partnership for Sustainable Communities

September 19, 2011 - Geoffrey Anderson

Another Look at Bicycle Advocacy

Blue argues that bicycle advocates need to consider the economic perspective of all individuals that use bicycles as transportation. Not all who bicycle do it by choice, says Blue.

September 19, 2011 - Grist

Cemeteries: A Great Place to Play Frisbee?

Aaron Hanauer and Colleen Ayers explain that the "rural cemeteries", a form that began in the early 19th century, used to be a popular place for family outings. With land in cities at a premium, could they be so again?

September 19, 2011 - On The Commons

How to Save Local Bookstores: Encourage Bicycling

Elly Blue at Grist suggests that a market for independent bookstores could be returning along with a rise in bicycling and walkable neighborhoods.

September 18, 2011 - Grist

Heightened Disparity on Park and 96th

The New York Times columnist Ginia Bellafante documents the inherent disconnect between the haves and the have-nots who reside literally side-by-side where the Upper East Side meets East Harlem.

September 17, 2011 - The New York Times

Transportation Deal Reached

Had a deal with Sen. Tom Coburn not been reached on Friday, a shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration would have begun Saturday morning. Coburn's issue, characterized by NPR as 'flowers vs. bridges', will be dealt with in final bill.

September 17, 2011 - NPR

Obama's Renewable Energy Blunder

The President went out of his way to support Solyndra's cutting-edge solar technology. When the company declares bankruptcy this week, Jon Stewart anticipates the gaffes by Obama's opposition in a very funny segment on The Daily Show.

September 16, 2011 - The Daily Show

Power Players: 25 "Greenest" Cities

The Atlantic ranks cities around the globe with a roaring economic engine. Tokyo's formidable $1.2-trillion economic output propels the City to No. 1 spot. NYC, Chicago, Boston, and D.C. come in at No. 2, 4, 6, and 10, respectively.

September 16, 2011 - The Atlantic

Maryland Lays Out Plan to Combat Sprawl

A large chunk of the state's developed land is designated as low to very low single-family residential, which explains an exceptionally high percentage of workers who commute to work alone. PlanMaryland seeks to change this unsustainable trend.

September 16, 2011 - The Atlantic

NYC Residents Suggesting Locations for New Bike Share Stations

Earlier this week, New York City officials announced a new bikeshare system that will be available to New Yorkers in 2012.

September 16, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

Use the Mortgage Interest Deduction to Channel Smart Growth

Galina Tachieva of DPZ argues that targeting mortgage interest deductions to benefit infill development and denser living would be an effective way to fight sprawl.

September 16, 2011 - Galina Tachieva

Feds and Orgs Team Up to Boost Creative Placemaking

Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the NEA, has long make the link between the arts and economic development. He is one of the big hitters behind ArtPlace, a public-private collaboration to foster creative placemaking.

September 15, 2011 - ArtPlace

Here Comes the Walmart Express

The megaretailer is part of a trend to rethink and shrink stores, as big boxes around the country have seen their sales plummet.

September 15, 2011 - Streetsblog Capitol Hill

Fed. Transpo' Extension Halted Over Bike Funding

U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-OK, came through with his promise to stop the clean extension of the transportation bill - and extension of the fed. gas tax, over the inclusion of what are known as 'enhancements' including bike/ped/livability programs.

September 15, 2011 - Steetsblog Capitol Hill

Top Food Cities in the U.S.

Travel+Leisure polls its readers for the best cities for foodies, with New Orleans taking the top spot.

September 15, 2011 - Travel+Leisure

Farm Chic is the Latest Trend in Housing Developments

In the '00s, housing built around golf courses was all the rage. Stephanie Simon reports that today's consumer wants to live next to an organic farm, vineyard or other micro-rural setting.

September 14, 2011 - The Wall St. Journal

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.